Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

Israeli Occupation Soldiers and Settlers Attack Palestinian Civilians, Mosques, Kidnap Fishermen, Cut Olive Trees

October 8, 2012

Palestinian wounded, Mosques damaged in new Israeli attacks on Gaza

[ 08/10/2012 - 09:38 AM ]

KHAN YOUNIS, (PIC)--

Violent Israeli artillery attacks on populated areas east of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip Monday morning has rendered one Palestinian civilian wounded and caused damage to two Mosques and a water tank.

Local sources told a reporter for the Palestinian information center (PIC) that the Israeli tanks bombed the populated areas east of Khan Younis about 15 times.

The artillery attacks led to the destruction of the minarets of Hidaya Mosque in Khuza'a area and Amar Bin Yaser Mosque in Abasan area as well as a water tank in Abasan.

The Israeli tanks also fired several shells at Qarara area in Khan Younis wounding one civilian who was rushed to Naser hospital.

In an earlier incident, 10 Palestinian citizens including five children were wounded afternoon Sunday in an Israeli air raid that targeted a motorbike in Rafah border area of the Gaza Strip.

In retaliation to yesterday's Israeli military escalation, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, launched on Monday morning rocket attacks on Israeli targets near Gaza border areas.

In a joint communiqué, the two resistance wings said their fighters waged at 06:30 in the morning counterattacks on Israeli military posts of Karam Abu Salem, Kissufim, Isnad Sofa and Al-Ein Atalita.

Ten Palestinians half of them children wounded in Israeli air raid

[ 07/10/2012 - 09:10 PM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)--

Ten Palestinian citizens including five children were wounded afternoon Sunday in an Israeli air raid that targeted a motorbike in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, sources said.

A local source said that an Israeli warplane fired two missiles at a motorbike in Brazil suburb in Rafah city, adding that two men were riding the bike and that ten citizens were injured as a result of the explosions.

For his part, Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, the health ministry spokesman in Gaza, told Quds Press that five children were among the casualties.

He said that three of the casualties were in a very serious condition while the children, who included a toddler, suffered moderate to light injuries.

Qudra said that no one was killed in the raid that targeted an area crowded with civilians and at a time schoolchildren, in the evening schools, were heading back home.

Israeli occupation detains 4 fishermen off Gaza coast

[ 07/10/2012 - 05:00 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Israeli forces detained four men, fishing off the northern Gaza shore on Sunday morning.

According to the General Administration of Fisheries in Palestinian Agriculture Ministry, the Israeli navy arrested on Sunday morning the fisherman Majed Fadel Baker and his three sons Omran 26, Fadi 23, and Muhammad, 19, while they were fishing on a boat.

The Ministry revealed in a statement that the fishermen were taken to an unknown destination while their boat was confiscated by the IOF, stressing that Israeli procedures of kidnapping fishermen, abusing and chasing them in the open sea have recently increased.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the boat breached the designated fishing zone and did not respond to warning shots by the Israeli navy.

The boat was taken to Israeli port Ashdod and the men are being held for security questioning, she said.

The Ministry said that under Israel's maritime blockade, Palestinians are forbidden from fishing more than three nautical miles from the coast.

It also held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the lives of fishermen, calling on human rights organizations, particularly the International Committee of Red Cross, to immediately intervene to release the fishermen and to pressure the occupation to increase the space for six miles at least

A week ago, 22-year-old fisherman Fahmi Salah Abu Rayash died after he was shot by Israeli snipers stationed near the shore, Hamas officials said.

Army Kidnaps Two Palestinians In Hebron

Friday October 05, 2012 07:40 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapped, on Thursday afternoon, two Palestinians teenagers near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.

The army claimed that the two carried “a sharp object”; they were cuffed and blindfolded, and were moved to the Ofer Interrogation center. Fathi Awad, spokesperson of the Popular Committee Against Settlements in Beit Ummar town, near Hebron, stated that the two were identified as Ali Sami Aadi, 16, and Mofleh Raed Aadi, 17. In other news, the Egyptian Border Police arrested three Palestinians from the Gaza Strip after they allegedly infiltrated into Sinai through a tunnel to visit a relative in Al-Ismaeliyya Egyptian city. The three are currently under interrogation.

Israeli Occupation Soldiers Attack Weekly Protest In Kufr Qaddoum

Saturday October 06, 2012 11:43 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli occupation soldiers attacked, Friday, the weekly nonviolent protest against the Annexation Wall and settlements, in Kufr Qaddoum village, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, and kidnapped an international solidarity activist.

Hundreds of residents, Israeli and international supporters marched against the illegal Wall and Israel’s illegal settlements, and in support of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, subject to frequent attacks carried out by Israeli soldiers and settlers.

The Media Office of the Popular Committee in Kufr Qaddoum reported that the army kidnapped Gary English, a 50-year-old solidarity activist.

Media Coordinator, Morad Eshtewy, said that as the protesters started marching, some protesters uncovered an ambush attempted by undercover forces of the Israeli army who hid in an old Olive Press building. The soldiers then left the building and hid behinds some olive trees.

As the protesters arrived at Palestinian orchards Israel intends to illegally confiscate from the residents, the army attacked the protesters and kidnapped Gary English, before taking him to a police station in Ariel illegal settlement.

Also on Friday, soldiers attacked nonviolent protesters in several parts of the West Bank, including in the villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, Beit Ummar near Hebron, in addition to Al-Ma'sara and Al-Walaja near Bethlehem.

Israel’s use of excessive force against the nonviolent protesters led to dozens of casualties, including fatalities, as Israel is trying to force the residents and their supporters to stop their protests against Israel’s illegal Annexation Wall and its illegal settlements.

On Friday, dozens of Israeli settlers and fully uniformed armed soldiers broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, and attacked several residents including women.

A woman who was trying to film the attack was also attacked and harassed by the soldiers who wanted to force her away, and to take her camera.

IOF soldiers storm Al-Khalil, settlers cut off olive trees in Ramallah

[ 07/10/2012 - 08:43 PM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed areas west of Al-Khalil on Sunday and installed roadblocks in an apparent attempt to arrest a number of “wanted” Palestinians.

Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that the IOF soldiers had lists of names with them and checked IDs of citizens in the area.

Meanwhile, Jewish settlers cut off olive trees in two villages to the west of Ramallah under IOF protection.

Local sources said that groups of settlers burst into the villages of Ras Karkar and Janiya and chopped off 20 olive trees.

In another incident, eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that IOF soldiers scrutinized IDs of citizens near Beit El settlement.

Jewish settlers attack Palestinian farmers, damage olive trees  

08/10/2012 - 09:50 AM

RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian farmers who were preparing to reap the fruits of their olive trees in Betello village to the west of Ramallah on Sunday afternoon.

Local sources said that Israeli occupation forces supported the settlers in a clash with the Palestinian farmers after the settlers damaged a number of olive trees before the harvest.

The settlers have intensified their assaults on olive trees over the past few days as about 300 trees were damaged in the process.